cybernationsfandomcom-20200215-history
New Rotterdam
New Rotterdam is the third largest city in New Libertaria and serves as a major military center for the nation. The site of New Rotterdam is the site where Abel Tasman first landed on the islands. The city of New Libertaria lies on the edge of deep canyons and hills separating its mesas, creating small pockets of natural parkland scattered throughout the city and giving it a hilly geography that roll towards a temperate coastal region. Traditionally citizens of New Rotterdam have built their homes and businesses on the mesas, while leaving the canyons relatively wild. Thus, the canyons give parts of the city a segmented feel, creating gaps between otherwise proximate neighborhoods and contributing to a low-density, car-centered built environment whose congestion has been negated by a highly-efficient mass transit system. The Greenbrier River runs through the middle of New Rotterdam from east to west, creating a river valley which serves to divide the city into northern and southern segments. Several reservoirs and greenbelts also lie between and separate developed areas of the city. Downtown New Rotterdam is located on Abel Bay. Abel Landing lies to the northeast, surrounded by dense urban communities including Thorn Hill to the north. Peninsulas separate Abel Bay from the ocean. The city contains more than 100 identified neighborhoods. Mountains rise to the east of the city, and beyond the mountains are agricultural areas. Island Park Forest preserve is a half-hour drive from downtown New Rotterdam. Numerous farms are found in the valleys northeast and southeast of the city. Places Of Interest In New Rotterdam Abel Landing Abel Landing is a national park that commemorates the site of discovery, when Abel Tasman landed at New Libertaria for the first time. Abel Landing is a place of quiet reflection designed by the noted Libertarian architect Artemis van de Ley to evoke a simpler time in history and blend the function of modernism with the form of a natural green space. The park incorporates many of the views of the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in its blend of natural phenomena with developmental elements. Abel Landing also incorporates elements of Asian influence, particularly in its study of tai chi and the search for harmony in tension between man and the natural world. This ahs given Abel Landing as very naturalistic feel to match its recognition of Tasman’s Landing as the impetus for a highly industrialized, progressive, and capitalistic society. Abel Landing ahs been controversial over the years, but as a once contentious sore spot for the indigenous Maori who have harbored resentment against the Dutch settlers who founded the nation. However, since the fall of the monarchy, both Federalist and Capitalist governments have fostered drastically improved relations with the Maori, transforming Abel landing from a point of contention to a vehicle for reconciliation. The Dutch Bottoms The Dutch Bottoms is one of New Libertaria‘s oldest colonial settlements. Dating back to the Dutch Empire, the area is known for its quaint colonial homes and row houses. The Dutch Bottoms is one of New Libertaria’s earliest settlements, with many of the buildings dating back to the late 19th century. Since the days of the Capitalist Republic, these historic buildings have been protected by law and cannot be demolished, and any renovations or new construction in the neighborhood must be done according to regulations to match the period historic architectural style. In the mid-18th Century, two great fires destroyed most of the Bottoms’ old colonial architecture, leaving the colony's new governors to rebuild it according to more modern tastes—and strict new fire codes, which mandated that all structures be physically adjacent and close to the curb to create a firewall. The old peaked roofs were replaced with flat tiled ones, and now-banned wooden siding replaced with fire-resistant stucco, painted in the pastel hues fashionable at the time. As a result, colorful walls and roofs and elaborately decorated ironwork balconies and galleries abound. As Dutch Jews began to move in after the War Of Seccession under King Benjamin I, they mostly built just upriver, and the Bottoms became the meeting place of diverse cultures, and reflected the two official languages of New Libertaria in Dutch and English. The median of the wide boulevard became a place where contentious cultures could meet and bilingually do business. As such, it became known as the "neutral ground", and this name persists in the New Rotterdam area for medians. Over time, the Bottoms became a less fashionable part of town, and many immigrants settled in the section. In the early 20th century, cheap rents and air of age and neglected decay has tended to attract a bohemian and artistic community. Viceroy Park Viceroy Park is a botanical gardens established under the rule of King Joseph II. It is known for its lush and tropical flora. It was originally the pleasure palace of the royal heir apparent, the Crown Princess Deborah (Queen Deborah).The 26 hectare (64 acre) site contains the National Exhibition Center, a multiplex IMAX screening facility with historical and cultural presentations, and tennis courts. From the National Exhibition Center, the gardens gently slope down to the southwest and northeast. The gardens are an outstanding example of Victorian era landscape design with sweeping lawns and varied European and Australian tree plantings consisting of deciduous English oaks, White Poplar, Plane trees, Elms, Conifers, Cedars, Turkey Oaks, Araucarias and evergreens such as Moreton Bay Figs, combined with flower beds of annuals and shrubs. A network of tree lined paths provide formal avenues for highlighting the fountains and architecture of the National Exhibition Center. Two small ornamental lakes adorn the southern section of the park. Category:Cities Category:New Libertaria